1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and particularly to a multi-port, telephone-type modular jack assembly for directly coupling a number of modular plugs to a printed circuit board. The present invention also relates to a method for making such a modular jack assembly.
2. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,612, 5,378,172, 5,419,720, 5,249,987 and 5,478,261 and Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 83213632, 83203192, 81204566, 83202859 and 82119692 disclose some conventional modular jacks/multi-port modular jack assemblies, wherein Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 82119692 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,249,987 and 5,478,261 emphasize contact design, Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 83203192, 83213632, 81204566 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,720 mainly relate to insulative housing design, and Taiwan Patent Application No. 83202859 addresses an electromagnetic shielding shell.
The conventional modular jack/jack assembly includes at least eight contacts for connecting with eight contacts of a mating telephone-type modular plug for transmitting electrical signals therethrough. Mounting the contacts of the prior art modular jacks/jack assemblies in housings thereof is laborious and troublesome. Thus, the assembly and production efficiency of the prior art is relatively low.
Furthermore, when the conventional modular jacks/jack assemblies are mounted to electronic devices, it is difficult for grounding/shielding shells thereof to be positively connected to grounding panels (usually, front or rear panels) of the electronic devices.
Moreover, the grounding/shielding shells of the conventional modular jacks/jack assemblies each consist of a number of separate members which are not easily assembled with the housings thereof.
Additionally, the contacts of the prior art modular jacks/jack assemblies have a configuration which will interfere with an insertion of mating modular plugs thereinto so that the mating modular plugs cannot be smoothly connected to the conventional modular jacks/jack assemblies.
Finally, in the prior art modular jacks/jack assemblies, engaging tabs of the shielding/grouding shells engaging with the plastic housings will interfere with neighboring modular jacks/jack assemblies so that the modular jacks/jack assemblies cannot be closely juxtaposed together.
Therefore, an improved modular jack/jack assembly is needed to eliminate the above mentioned defects of current modular jacks/jack assemblies.